National Association for International Education (NAFSA), Region VIII Conference November 3-5, 2011 - Philadelphia, PA PRESENTERS: Nicole Sealey, Director for the Center for International Student Access, Mason Rick Davis, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Education, Mason Karyn Mallett, Assistant Director, English Language Institute, Mason Ghania Zgheib, Faculty, English Language Institute, Mason SESSION TITLE: Expanding ACCESS to International Students ABSTRACT: Mason's recent foray in international education is an innovative new foundation year program for international freshman designed to increase their academic English language skills while enrolled as full-time students. The presenters will discuss historical development of the program; its academic foundation utilizing cross-departmental collaboration between university and intensive English programs; and its implementation this past fall. The program provides a cohort-style, credit-bearing, custom curriculum, along with academic and student services designed for students studying abroad. The session will address research-backed program revisions; implications for comprehensive approaches to language-supported internationalization in US higher education; and the development of a new university entity developed to manage administration of the program, which builds further on interdepartmental partnerships.

1. Expanding ACCESS to
International Students
NAFSA Region VII Conference
Philadelphia, PA
November 4, 2011
Rick Davis, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Education
Nicole Sealey, Director, Center for International Student Access
Karyn Mallett, Assistant Director, English Language Institute
Ghania Zgheib, Faculty, English Language Institute
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2. Introduction
Mason’s international profile:
• a fortunate confluence of strategic intention and
circumstance
• international goals articulated in strategic plan
• enrollment goals as part of a larger discussion of
internationalization
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3. Internationalization at Mason
Expanding international student enrollment
• catalyst -- approach by outside partner
• decision to “DIY”
• conversations with stakeholders: ELI, academic
programs, OIPS.
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4. ACCESS Program
• International Freshmen
• Alternative Admission Requirements
• Meets academic qualifications
• Lower English Proficiency threshold
• Provisional admission
• Goal: One year comprehensive first-year
experience
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5. Key Programmatic Components
• Academic Coursework utilizing teaching methods supported by theory and
research for content-based English language acquisition
• Advising and acculturation support in an environment designed to elicit
comfort and trust
• Co-extracurricular programming and activities designed to engage and
enrich international students in the larger university community
• Coordinated university resources and assessment made possible though
collaborative efforts among units and faculty
Successful Completion:
Passing Language Portfolio/Exam & Achievement of GPA of 2.0
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6. Pilot Program Structure
FALL 2010 - 12 credits
Enhanced
Using innovative English World History
team teaching
Composition I (4)
approach
(3)
Offered with
in-class and
Incorporating
Public after-class
Peer Advising from Freshman
successful Mason Transition (1)
Speaking language
Undergrads (4)
support
Mathematics
Placement
Seminar
(0)
Additional tutoring made available during afternoon and evening hours
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7. Pilot Program Structure
Spring 2011 - 12-16 credits
Enhanced
Using innovative English Mathematics*
team teaching
Composition II (3)
approach
(3)
Major
Courses
(2-4)
Introduction
American
to Research
Cultures
English
Methods
(3)
Grammar (3)
(Summer)
(3)
*Mathematics: Per placement exam
Additional tutoring made available during day and evening hours
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8. English Language Support Structure
GMU ELI GMU CISA
Intensive Program
CISA CISA
Language Support
Committees
PROV 103
Transition Language PROV 104
Guidelines ENGL ACCESS
121/122
ELI
Applicant
Advising Language
Assessment BRIDGE
Language
Near- Advising &
Beginner Tracking
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9. Language Requirement Threshold
ELI PROFICIENCY TEST IELTS TOEFL iBT
CEFR
Speaking Listening Reading Writing OVERALL TOTAL
C2 C2 115-120 117-120 120 8.5 120
C1 C1 110-114 111-116 110 7.5 110-119
B2+ B2+ 100-109 106-110 100 7.0 100-109
B2 B2 90-99 102-105 90 6.5 87-99
B1+ B1+ 80- 89 92-101 80 6.0 80-86
B1 B1 70-79 82-91 60 5.5 57-79
A2+ A2+ 60-69 71-81 50 4.5 40-56
A2 A2 50-59 57-70 40 4.0 30-39
A1+ A1+ 30-49 30-56 30 3.0 20-29
A1 A1 11-29 11-29 20 2.0 12-19
N/A Pre-A1 0-10 0-10 0 1.0 0-11
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10. Incoming-Outgoing Language
Proficiency Scores: ACCESS
2010-2011 Incoming Access 2010-2011 Outgoing Access
2011-2012 Incoming Access
10
9
8
7
# of students
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
A1
A1+
A2
A2+
B1
B1+
B2
B2+
CEFR Level C1
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11. Co-Curricular Connections
Complementary Programming Co-curricular Programming
• Peer Mentorship Program Academic Support
• Peer Learning Partnership • Advising & Acculturation
Program • Academic Success
• Student Leadership Council Workshops
• “Alumni” Program • Tutoring
Student Activities
• Fall Themes:
Academic/Acculturation
• Spring Themes: Community
& Self-directed Success
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12. Inter-area Coordination
Consultation with liaison from ELI (English Language Resource & Development
Coordinator)
Faculty/Staff trainings
Cross-course coordinated assignments
Communication & resource sharing
Academic department resources & English language support resource coordination
Inter-unit activities and collaborations:
• University English Language Institute
• International Programs & Services (Immigration)
• Honors College
• Residence Life (Living-Learning Community)
• Diversity Programs & Services
• Peer Empowerment Program (Counseling Services)
• Student Involvement/University Life
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13. Enrollment Management
Financial Model:
 Initiative-based budget model
 Out of state tuition rates + flat‐rate premium cost
Enrollment forecasts:
 Strategically planned with a fairly aggressive growth within the program
 Modest increase of ~2% university-wide
Shared Human Resources & Facilities:
 Staff, faculty, course scheduling, and space coordination
Recruitment:
 Fairly aggressive recruitment schedule with visits covering Far
East, Indonesia, and Middle East
 Use of agents & tours
 ELI Pipeline
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14. Program Assessment
Research project: “Assessing the pilot year of the access program: A mixed-
method, longitudinal research study of ACCESS students’ and faculty experiences”
Phase I: Pilot year ACCESS 2010-2011
Phase II: ACCESS 2011-2012
Data Gathered from Participants
QL Data:
• Monthly video-recorded classroom sessions (Students)
• Three audio-recorded individual student interviews (Students)
• Samples of student-generated writing (Students)
• Four focus groups (Students)
• Monthly video-recorded classroom sessions (Faculty)
• One audio-recorded individual interview (Faculty)
• Samples of student-generated writing with teacher feedback (Faculty)
QN Data:
• Weekly on-line ACCESS student surveys (Students)
• Two individual English language assessments (Students)
• Weekly on-line ACCESS faculty surveys (Faculty)
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15. Purpose & Participants
Phase I
Driving question:
How do ACCESS students’ perceptions of the academic, linguistic, and cultural
experiences compare with ACCESS-affiliated faculty feedback on teaching academic
content/skills across the ACCESS-included disciplines?
ACCESS student participants for phase I
• n = 21 for Fall 2010; 19 for Spring 2011
• All students = multilingual
• Majority = Asian or Arab; one student from Ivory Coast
ACCESS faculty participants for phase I
• n = 8 for Fall 2010; 6 for Spring 2011
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16. Findings: Themes
1. Factors that appeal to international students (i.e. things that students say make them feel
engaged/motivated)
2. Perceived challenges (classroom, transition)
3. ACCESS faculty expectations and goals
4. Students’ perceptions of ACCESS faculty/program
5. ACCESS group/cohort dynamics
6. Language and cultural permeability
7. English language proficiency
8. Satisfaction with ACCESS program
9. Academic writing
10. Academic preparedness
11. Revision to ACCESS program
12. What works for ACCESS faculty
13. Students’ experiences at Mason
14. Faculty professional development and lived experiences
15. ACCESS teaching-related issues
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17. Challenges Reported by Students on Being International
Students in the United States
• “understanding the text,” • “finding real friends,”
• “thoughts and opinion • “language,”
understanding,” • “integration,”
• “getting involved,” • “making real American friends,”
• “essays,” • “reading,”
• “being away from home,” • “time management only,”
• “understanding American • “getting used to atmosphere,”
educational system,” • “understanding American
• “writing papers,” culture”
• “ideas and culture,” • “adapting to university life”
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18. Perceived Academic Challenges: Students’ Perspective
Language intensive • Reading and writing-intensive
requirements courses, especially
Managing pressure to • 90% of the students reported pressure to
succeed in ACCESS succeed in the ACCESS program
Understanding course “…but when we ask for clarification, the professor is
requirements or the process always there to help…the problem is how to achieve the
for achieving course goals requirements”
Academic study “Note taking is a little bit of a problem but its being
skills, especially note-taking handled”
Staying ahead of • “you must work hard from the start, otherwise
assignments everything will pile up on you”
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19. Perceived Academic Challenges: Faculty Perspective
• “One challenge I've faced is the difference in both language ability
Range of Student Levels and motivation/preparation among the students. In attempting to
design lessons that will help the lower level students, I am worried
(language and motivation) that some of the more advanced members of the class are being
neglected.”
• “While socialization issues do occur, the most urgent issue for
Academic Readiness ACCESS students is academic readiness and understanding the
context in which the Western Educational system operates.”
• “can they cover enough?”
Evaluating Student Work • “do they understand the difference between putting information
down and answering a question?”
• Tardiness
Studentship Issues • Absences
• Quality of assignments/work
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20. ACCESS students’ viewpoints of academic writing
• Interesting, enjoyable, great
Positive
• Long, hard, confusing, difficult, time consuming, not easy, struggle
Negative
• Thinking, new, there are no rules, organization, different
Neutral
• 100% of the students reported that rubrics are helpful
• 100% of the students reported that teachers’ feedback on their
writing is helpful
“In writing my second draft English essay,
I wrote way more than I expected.”
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21. Faculty Perceptions on the Importance of
Grammatical Accuracy
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22. Faculty Perceptions on Resource Development
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23. Students’ Perceptions of Educational Systems
Differences
Student A
“Like, in XXX teachers are to tell you what you should remember. So and they give you
lots of homework… So, actually during class you don’t have lots discussion or use your
brain… So teachers here is more help you thinking; they question rather than tell you
the answers. So you actually, you give lots of your own opinions and use your brain.”
Student B
In my country, for example, before coming in class you have to knock at the door and
you can’t enter in the class if you are late. And when the teacher come in class you have
to stand, yeah, until he said you have to sit. And you can’t make suggestions; yeah, they
have like masters in the class so you can’t say anything. And I think that the exams are
more difficult because they just give you what you have to study and you need to
memorize everything. And they don’t give you clue, like, choose one answer, multiple
choices; yeah, we don’t have this. And, I don’t know, I think it’s not organized like here.
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24. Students’ Perceptions of Language Support
Student A
You’re not really on your own. You have a lot of other open doors. You can go to the
library, you can go anywhere. Especially the ACCESS program; you have a lot of other
people who are willing to help you.
Student B
I mean, there is a lot of positive things…like the most, the most important I think is the
support of the English program, English language… I mean even if they are our English
teachers, we know that we can, whenever we need help, we can ask them for help and
they’ll be there for us. And we’re a tight community, we are really tight.
Student C
I think the positive thing is that you guys care about us. If we get, like, low grades you
talk to us, you try to support us so we can get high grades.
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25. Most Memorable Moments of ACCESS 2010-
2011 Cohort
Student Faculty
• “Study groups that were organized by • “The first draft from an ACCESS student
ourselves…” which demonstrated lack of exposure to
• “Just the experience of having all the American academic writing.”
classes together” • “coming into class with everyone
• “The trip to New York, so much fun and prepared and ready to participate and
getting to know each other better” turn in assignments…”
• “they really know how to express
• “how exciting I was in the beginning of themselves in multiple nuanced ways
the semester. And how I was doing (even beyond language)…”
assignments happily because I knew it’s • “listening to their speeches; remarking
all for crated (credit)” how far they’ve come, how much more
• “The support classes help a lot” confident they are…”
• “that I have to work really hard” • “…more than language
ability, motivation is the key factor to
success”
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26. Phase II – ACCESS 2011-2012
QL Data:
• Three audio-recorded individual student interviews (Students)
• Samples of student-generated writing (Students)
• One audio-recorded individual interview (Faculty)
• Samples of student-generated writing with teacher feedback (Faculty)
QN Data:
• On-line ACCESS student surveys (Students)
• Two individual English language assessments (Students)
• On-line ACCESS faculty surveys (Faculty)
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27. Implementation Considerations
• Program development is always a work in progress; utilize
functioning academic model already in place
• Pre-implementation planning critical to success
• Both upper administration and faculty buy-in a requirement
• Programmatic buy-in essential to smooth the pathway to full
major status
• Student affairs must be fully enmeshed in program to assure
student success
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28. Program Revisions
Academic Administrative
• Week-long student • Faculty Training Workshops
orientation & Handbooks
• Student Handbooks • Student Tracking (via Map-
• Student Development goals Works)
• Course sequencing • Interdepartmental
adjustments negotiation strategies for
• Advising protocols resources
• Cohort based on language • Adjusted enrollment
areas projections
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29. Language-related Program Revisions
Faculty Retreat
• Research Guided
• Scenario-based Discussion Questions
• Faculty- generated strategies
Faculty Training Module
• Academic home base
• Feedback on Student Writing
Student Orientation
• Language Proficiency Benchmarks
• Interpreting Faculty Feedback on Writing
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30. Moving Forward – Enrollment Data
Pilot Year Second Year
• 21 students from 8 nations • 57 Students from 14 nations
• Average Student: • Average Student:
• Male (76%) • Male (78%)
• Saudi Arabian (61%) • Saudi Arabian (42%)
• Attended university ELI • Attended university ELI
(76%) (49%)
• Retention to sophomore • Retention to sophomore
year: 71% year: TBA
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31. Moving Forward – Momentum
• Development of research
initiatives
• Development of new
partnerships
• Elements modeled by other
programs as a “best
practice”
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32. Conclusion
Measuring success of ACCESS as an institution-
building activity:
• enrollment growth
• student progression to graduation and beyond
• campus culture
• test bed for innovative strategies with broader
application
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33. Karyn Mallett Nicole Sealey Ghania Zgheib
Kmallet1@gmu.edu nsealey@gmu.edu gzgheib@gmu.edu
You can access this presentation online at:
http://cisa.gmu.edu/research
DISCUSSION
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34. References
ACCESS Program website. George Mason University’s Center for
International Student Access - http://cisa.gmu.edu/programs/access/.
Davis, R., Mallett, K., Sealey, N. & Zgheib, G. 2011. “Expanding ACCESS
to International Students.” Presentation at 3rd Annual Colonial Academic
Alliance Global Education Conference. Fairfax, VA.
Ellingboe, B.J. (1998). 'Divisional strategies to internationalize a campus
portrait: Results, resistance, and recommendations from a case study at a
U.S. university, in Mestenhauser, J.A. and Elllingboe, B.J
(eds.), Reforming the Higher Education Curriculum: Internationalizing
the Campus. Phoenix, AZ: American Council on Education and Oryx
Press, pp. 198-228.
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35. References (continued)
Fischer, K. (May 29, 2011). Colleges Adapt to New Kinds of Students From
Abroad: Younger, sometimes less-experienced students require more
academic and social support. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Educate-a-New-
Kind-of/127704/
Fischer, K. (August 7, 2011). College 101 for Non-Native Speakers:
Pathways programs blend English and academics to help foreign students
succeed. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://chronicle.com/article/College-101-for-International/128535/
Habib, A. S. and Mallett, K. E. (eds.). 2011. “Diversity at Mason: The pursuit
of transformative education.” Fairfax, VA: Diversity Research
Group, George Mason University.
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36. References (continued)
Hill, B. A. (2008). A Guide To Internationalization For Chief Academic
Officers. American Council on Education.
International Association of Universities. 2010. Internationalization of
Higher Education: Global Trends, Regional Perspectives. IAU 3rd Global
Survey. Paris: UNESCO House.
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37. Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the following individuals at Mason
whose contributions led to the development of the program reflected in
the presentation:
• Peter Stearns, Provost
• Linda Schwartzstein, Vice Provost, Academic Affairs
• Rick Davis, Associate Provost, Undergraduate Education
• Ann Schiller, Assistant Vice President, Global Strategies
• Andrew Flagel, former Dean, University Admissions
• Kathy Trump, Associate Dean, International University Life
• Judith Green, Director, Office of International Programs & Services
• John Pope, Director, English Language Institute
• Terry Zawacki, Director, Writing Across the Curriculum
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